Short Summary

THE COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS SECRETARY, MR ARTHUS BOTTOMLEY, FLEW BACK TO LONDON EARLY TODAY (SATURDAY) FROM ZAMBIA AFTER CANCELLING HIS PROJECTED VISIT TO RHODESIA.

Description

THE COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS SECRETARY, MR ARTHUS BOTTOMLEY, FLEW BACK TO LONDON EARLY TODAY (SATURDAY) FROM ZAMBIA AFTER CANCELLING HIS PROJECTED VISIT TO RHODESIA. HE TOLD REPORTERS AT LONDON AIRPORT THAT THE CANCELLATION WAS BECAUSE MR IAN SMITH HAD INSISTED ON "A TRANSPARENT AND STUPID WAY OF GETTING ME TO RECOGNISE THE REBEL REGIME."
MR BOTTOMLEY HAD TALKS WITH THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT IN LUSAKA AFTER ATTENDING THE COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE ON RHODESIA IN NIGERIA. ON THURSDAY IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT MR BOTTOMLEY WOULD GO TO SALISBURY, CAPITAL OF THE BREAKAWAY COLONY. BUT MR WILSON, THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, CANCELLED THE TRIP, CLAIMING THAT UNACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS HAD BEEN IMPOSED BY THE SMITH REGIME.

THE BRITISH MINISTER DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WHEN OUR REPORTER SPOKE TO HIM AT LONDON AIRPORT: